Litchfield Community Theatre presents “Murder on the High C’s” May 8th and 9th at 7 p.m. and May 10th at 2 p.m. in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium in Litchfield. Tickets are $15 for the lower level and $10 for the upper level and are available in advance at litchfieldcommunitytheatre.com.
Director Tim Nelson says “Murder on the High C’s” is a story written by Scott Ratner, a friend of his from Disney, and he wrote the musical score. He describes it as a combination of Agatha Christie and the “Love Boat” and it has lots of familiar actors from past Litchfield Community Theatre shows.
Nelson says it’s like a bonus show this year as Litchfield Community Theatre is celebrating its 50th anniversary. He says they’ve been rehearsing for the past 6 weeks. By the way, auditions for this summer’s production of “Mary Poppins” will be held May 26th and 27th. For more details on any of the shows, call Litchfield Community Education at 320-693-2354.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners approved of a contract with Steffes Auctioneers last week to auction a couple of forfeited properties – a house in Grove City and some hunting land in Union Grove Township. Details can be found on the Steffes Auctioneers website.
County Administrator Andrew Letson says the County Board also approved of a contract for work that will be done this summer on County-State-Aid-Highway 20. He says work will continue this summer on the County-State-Aid-Highway 34 bridge replacement project, and pavement marking will be taking place on the county highways throughout the summer.
Letson says the local option sales tax is going through the final process with the state revenue department, so local retailers will be given information about the half-cent tax which will go into effect July 1st. He says the tax will raise money for road improvement projects and the County Board has a list of projects that they would like to get accomplished in the coming years.
Letson says Commissioner Steve Schmitt has been testifying at the State Capitol this legislative session to try to minimize impacts to counties as there could be cost shifts for items like the SNAP food assistance program. He says Meeker County is looking to hire some part-time staff to help with the elections this year.
Letson says the Health & Human Services department is hosting a Family Fun Day this Saturday from 10-to-1 at Litchfield High School and the public is welcome. He says there will be games, vendors and other activities.
KARE-11 Chief Meteorologist Belinda Jensen announced earlier this winter that she would be retiring. Her last evening weather reports will air tomorrow night and her final “Grow With Kare” show will be this Saturday, May 2nd, from 8-to-10 a.m.
Jensen was born in St. Paul – one of 5 children in her family, living in Apple Valley, and then her family moved to the Prescott, Wisconsin area – along the St. Croix River. She says she was planning to be a teacher, and ironically, she had to do a term paper when she was a sophomore – so she called meteorologist Paul Douglas to interview him for her paper and got an “A” on it.
Jensen says she went to Mankato State, and then finished her atmospheric science degree at the University of Wisconsin, then decided to get her masters at the University of Utah since her parents had moved there. She says she worked as a producer at a TV station in Salt Lake City and when the weatherman for the morning show vanished, she filled in – with no intention of ever being on TV, and ended up there for 3 years.
Jensen says Paul Douglas called her to say that there was an opening at KARE-11 for a weekend weather person, so she filled that role for 13 years – and worked with Ken Barlow after Paul Douglas left the station for Chicago, and then when Ken moved to Boston, she became the Chief Meterologist at KARE-11 nearly 21 years ago. She says the Minnesota weather has made the past 33 years very challenging, but it has been a rewarding career.
Jensen says she will be spending her time speaking – as she loves to talk to young people about science, and will continue to promote her “Bel, the Weather Girl” books. She will also be leading a travel group to Italy this fall. She will also be inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame this fall.